//------------------------------// // Applejack Vs Eight Star // Story: Old Versus Eight Star Tales // by Eight Star //------------------------------// Eight Star wasn’t much of a risk taker, but when it came to food, he didn’t mess around. Normally his food stores were filled to the brim, but because Trixie incinerated the shopping list and didn’t tell anypony, his food storage ended up at bare floor before he noticed. With all of his subordinates out, and Darkshine Dancer still asleep, he took matters into his own hooves. He swallowed hard… and realized that keeping his composure on this trip would be top priority. The Ponyville market was the perfect place to pick up any fruits or other foods he may want… but also a rather inhospitable place to him at times. Looking around, he could see pears, apples, cherries, celery, carrots, everything he could want! Hmm, apples… apples reminded him of one of his more recent players, and so he went over to the apple stand. The pony behind the counter appeared to be digging underneath for something when he arrived. He cleared his throat and stood before the counter with a smile. “Good Morning, fair pony, I’ve come to make a purchase from your delicious stock!” The flattery hit the ears of the one behind the counter, who rose up to meet him. “Well that’s mighty k-“ As her eyes met his, she looked over the crimson unicorn. His confused expression, his golden eyes, the black streak in his hair, and that cutie mark… it was definitely “You!” Eight Star sighed exasperatedly and rolled his eyes. “Just my luck. Yes, me, I got hungry.” He turned his head and dug a jingling pouch of coins from the inside of his black cloak, holding it out. Applejack put her hooves on the table, hoarding the apples from him. “Well, tain’t nothin’ for ya here, so git lost!” His stomach growled, and he narrowed his eyes as his horn glowed, levitating the pouch so he could talk. “Oh come now, Applejack, don’t tell me you’re still sore about the whole… trap you and your friends in alternate bodies, then later use parts of your essences to create duplicates which terrorized all of Equestria… thing.” “Yeah,” she said, “and lemme show you how much!” She stepped back from the cart and turned her back on him. “Oh come now, facing your r-“ Eight Star stopped mid-word as he saw the entire cart coming at him. He had to stop talking in order to snap his concentration into stopping the surface from flattening him. He crouched down to the ground fast and covered his head on instinct as his energy gave the cart enough push to soar through the air above him and land on the other side. He stood up and shook the apples off of him. “Have you gone mad, filly?!” The cart had thrown all the apples and other goods all over the square. The ponies surrounding them watched, frightened and intrigued as Applejack stamped on the ground. “Ya’ll go on get outta here, now. Ya ain’t welcome!” He was surprised by her reaction to say the least, and tried to reason with her. “Look, I just came for food. I’ll pay… triple your price!” “No way, no how!” Applejack leapt at him, and he cringed a bit, his horn glowing with a cyan color. She twisted at him again, and threw out one of her hind hooves at his face. He knew better than to be anywhere near her hind legs. His head jerked away, and just in case that wasn’t enough, a streak of cyan energy smacked the side of her hoof, sending her off balance into a stumble. “This violence really isn’t necessary!” The crowd around the two gasped as Applejack stumbled. One of the random fillies called out: “Go Applejack! Don’t let him do that to you!” Eight Star groaned and protested. “I just wanted apple fritters!” Applejack responded, “All yer getting’ is an apple buck!” Regaining her balance in moments, she put all her power into her hind legs and lashed out at his head again. The sorcerer Eight Star was tired of this, and backed out of reach while twisting the cyan energy around her hooves. It hung her legs in the air for a moment before pulling up and throwing her right on her back. The crowd around him boo’d. “This is the worst publicity I’ve had in years, AJ. It could’ve been avoided by just selling me the apple, but NO! You had to escalate this, huh? You had to bring everypony into this!” He stamped his hooves and lowered his head to her upside-down face as his horn began to glow a dark purple color. Applejack recognized the color from their game together and she nervously asked; “Wh-what’re you gonna do wit’ that?” Eight Star scraped his hooves back through the dirt as he gave her a sadistic grin. Stepping back, his horn began to ripple with energy. Waves of dark purple lines of power expanded through the air, passing through the very confused crowd. “Deny me my food, and you will pay the price.” The energy faded out, and for a few moments nothing happened. She looked up at him and pushed herself back up to a stand. “Yer all jus’ talk.” As if on cue, the ground began to rumble and shake, and the dirt started shifting back and forth as a thick mist surrounded the town. Ponies began to panic, as boney hooves began to explode from the dirt. Skeletal ponies clambered their way out from the soil, and left newly over-turned graves in their wake. Hordes of the undead sprang from their resting places as Eight Star continued to stare down at Applejack. Screams of horror and panic filled the air as he hissed, “So… apple fritter?” Applejack glared at him. “No way, no how! I’ll never give in!” She moved to stand on the main mess of apples, kicking some underneath her as she went. “Are you seriously trying to push me, AJ? Do you know all the things I can mmphf hmph… mmmf… mmm~!” He found a strawberry cake shoved into his mouth as he was talking, and suddenly all of the undead just stopped and stared at him as he chewed on the delicious treat. His eyes turned to the pink earth pony that had just stuffed his mouth with the delectable cake. Pinkie Pie saluted to Applejack and declared: “Crisis averted!” Applejack huffed, pushing up some stray hairs that got in her face, and put her hat back on. “Hmpf…” Eight Star swallowed the cake and grinned. “Ah, that hit the spot! Well, I guess I’ll just get some… pears or lettuce to go with some cakes to take home.” He looked around at the undead as the mist began to clear. “Oh, yeah… those. Uhh… help me carry the bags.” So, the day ended with Eight Star buying a lot of food, and loading all of the saddlebags on his skeletal minions, who loyally trotted back into the forest by his command. Applejack commented as she watched them trail off into the sunset. “Pony’s gotta learn his place. Can’t be makin’ demands’a me, an’ pretendin’ like everythang’s alright!” Pinkie Pie patted her friend on the back. “There, there, I’m sure he was just hungry. I know I get cranky when I’m hungry!” She followed her sentence up with a happy giggle. The two surveyed the area. Open holes, scared citizens. Yup, Twilight’s going to have a lot of explaining to do to the mayor!